Chrysanthemum plant named &#39;Zanmuflaminneon&#39;

ABSTRACT

A  chrysanthemum  plant named ‘Zanmuflaminneon’ characterized by its medium sized blooms with bright purple ray florets and prolific branching; natural season flowering August 29 (week 35); blooming for a period of 5 weeks.

BOTANICAL DESIGNATION

Chrysanthemum×morifolium Ramat.

CULTIVAR DENOMINATION

‘Zanmuflaminneon’

RELATED CULTIVARS

The new plant is related to ‘Zanmuflamin’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 20,589).‘Zanmuflamineon’ is a mutant of ‘Zanmuflamin’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofchrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemum×morifoliumRamat., commercially known as a garden mum, and hereinafter referred toby the cultivar denomination ‘Zanmuflaminneon’. ‘Zanmuflaminneon’ is aproduct of a breeding and selection program which had the objective offinding color mutants from existing parent plants. The new plantcomprises a whole plant mutant of the parent chrysanthemum named‘Zanmuflamin’. Plants from the new cultivar ‘Zanmuflaminneon’ differfrom plants of the female parent in the color of the ray-florets. Thecolor is bright purple in the mutant, while it is more subdued in theparent.

The new cultivar was discovered as a color mutant in September 2006 byWilhelmus Bernardus Blom in a controlled environment (greenhouse) inRijsenhout, The Netherlands. The first act of asexual reproduction of‘Zanmuflaminneon’ was accomplished when after planting of the mutant asa motherplant in Rijsenhout; vegetative cuttings from this mutant weretaken and propagated further. The new cultivar has been found to retainits distinctive characteristics through successive propagations.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention of a new and distinct variety of chrysanthemum isshown in the accompanying drawings, the color being as nearly true aspossible with color photographs of this type.

FIG. 1 shows a plant of the cultivar in full bloom.

FIG. 2 shows the various stages of blooms of the new cultivar.

FIG. 3 shows the various stages of foliage of the new cultivar.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The observations and measurements were gathered from plants grown outdoor in Rijsenhout, The Netherlands, under natural day length andtemperature and planted in week 22 in 2011. The natural blooming date ofthis crop was August 29 (week 35). The average height of the plants was29 cm. No growth retardants were used. No tests were done on disease orinsects resistance or susceptibility. No tests were done on cold ordrought resistance. This new variety produces medium sized blooms withbright purple ray florets blooming for a period of five weeks.

From the cultivars known to inventor the most similar existing cultivarin comparison to ‘Zanmuflaminneon’ are ‘Zanmuflamin’ (U.S. Plant Pat.No. 20,589) and ‘Zanmuflamincran’ (pending U.S. Plant patent Ser. No.13/200,324). When ‘Zanmuflamin’, ‘Zanmuflamincran’ and ‘Zanmuflaminneon’are being compared the following difference is noticed: The ray-floretsof ‘Zanmuflaminneon’ are more bright purple than of those of“Zanmuflamin’ and ‘Zanmuflamincran’. The following is a description ofthe plant and characteristics that distinguish ‘Zanmuflaminneon’ as anew and distinct variety.

The color designations are taken from the plant itself. Accordingly, anydiscrepancies between the color designations and the colors depicted inthe photographs are due to photographic tolerances. The color chart usedin this description is: The Royal Horticultural Society Colour chart,edition 2001.

TABLE 1 Botanical Description of Chrysanthemum × morifolium Ramat.‘Zanmuflaminneon’ Bud Size: Small; cross-section 8 mm, height 4 mmShape: Round Texture: Pubescent Outside color: Greyed-green 191APhyllaries Number: 18, arranged in 3 rows Shape: Elliptic Apex: AcuteBase: Truncate Margin: Entire Color: Upper side: Greyed-green 191B Lowerside: Greyed-green 191C Length and width: 5 mm; 2 mm Texture: PubescentInflorescences Type: Double Height: 1.5-2.5 cm Diameter: 5 cm Pedunclelength:   10-13 cm Peduncle color: Green 138B Peduncle diameter: 2 mmPeduncle texture: Pubescent Number per branch: About 5 inflorescencesDuration of flowering: 5 weeks Seeds: Produced in small quantities,ovate, Greyed-brown 199A, length 1.5 mm, diameter 0.5 mm Fragrance:Faint chrysanthemum odor Color inflorescences Center of inflorescence:Immature stage: Red-purple 58D; Mature stage: Red-purple 64C Color ofupper side of ray florets: Red-purple 64D Color of lower side of rayflorets: Greyed-purple 186D at base to Greyed-purple 186B at apexTonality from distance: A garden mum with bright purple blooms Color ofray florets after aging of the plant: Greyed-purple 186C Ray floretsTexture: Upper and lower side smooth Number: 190-200 Shape: EllipticApex: Dentate Base: Attenuate Cross-section: Flat Longitudinal axis:Straight Length of corolla tube: 4 mm Ray floret margin: Entire Rayfloret length: 1.5-2 cm Ray floret width:   4-5 mm Ratio length/width:High Disc florets Absent Receptacle Color: Yellow-green 145D Shape:Domed raised Height: 3 mm Diameter: 3 mm Reproductive Organs Androecium:Absent Gynoecium: Present in ray florets Style color: Yellow-green 154CStyle length: 3 mm Stigma color: Yellow 7A Stigma width: 1 mm Ovary:Enclosed in calyx Plant Form: Grown as a spray type pot mum, outdoorraised and mounded Growth habit: Spherical shape Growth rate: MediumHeight: 28-30 cm Width: 38-40 cm Stem color: Greyed-brown 199A Stemstrength: Strong Stem brittleness: Not brittle Stem anthocyanincoloration: Only in mature plants Internode length: 2-2.5 cm. Length oflateral branch: From top to bottom 18 cm Lateral branch color: Green 137C Lateral branch, attachment: Brittle Lateral branch diameter: 3 mmBranching (average number of lateral branches): Prolific with 8 breaksafter pinching Natural season blooming date: August 29 (week 35-40)Foliage Leaf color: Upper side: Green 138A; Lower side: Green 139C Colormidvein: Upper side: Yellow-green 147D; Lower side: Yellow-green 148DSize: Small; length 3.5-4 cm, width 2-2.5 cm Quantity (number perlateral branches): 16-18 Shape: Elliptic Texture upper side: Sparselypubescent Texture under side: Pubescent Venation arrangement: PalmateShape of margin: Serrated Shape of base of sinus between lateral lobes:Rounded Margin of sinus between lateral lobes: Diverging Shape of base:Truncate Apex: Mucronulate Petiole length: 0.5-1 cm Petiole diameter: 2mm Petiole color: Yellow-green 147D

TABLE 1 Difference with comparison varieties (when grown under identicalconditions) ‘Zanmuflaminneon’ ‘Zanmuflamincran’ ‘Zanmuflamin’ ColorRed-purple 64D Red 47A, with Yellow Red-purple 59D upper 6B at base sideray- florets

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct variety of chrysanthemum plant asdescribed and illustrated.